


What type of name is Robert?

by Absolute_Fool



Series: Run-ins and What-not [1]
Category: Company - Sondheim/Furth, Merrily We Roll Along - Sondheim/Furth
Genre: Bobby was NOT prepared for charley's energy, Charley is once again being gay!, First Person, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Monologue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:42:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25963039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Absolute_Fool/pseuds/Absolute_Fool
Summary: Charley Kringas meets a handsome bachelor friend of a friend named Bobby and develops what is colloquially known as a "crush"
Relationships: Charley Kringas/Robert (Company)
Series: Run-ins and What-not [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2075679
Comments: 13
Kudos: 2





	What type of name is Robert?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [boiledorangejuice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/boiledorangejuice/gifts).



I don't know if I can ever begin to thank Ted. Ted and I have been on and off for the past few years and currently, we're off. Anyways, he calls me, and he tells me, "Charley, Charley, Charley, you want to go out tonight. I have someone you want to meet." Now Evelyn and the kids are headed back to the country house for the rest of the month, and so I'm alone in that… apartment, which is the only reason I'd ever leave. So, it's 11 am on a Monday, I have been reading about these Protests downtown, and gosh, I really don't want to see Ted, I want to go to these Protests. But, I resist the urge to because, well Ted doesn't invite me out unless he's either gonna keep on asking me to write a musical with him, or he wants to get with me, either way, I miss the conversation most of all. Anyways, I get to Ted's place right as he's leaving. I feel like shit, I say, am I late? I'm sorry, my watch is three hours behind still, And he says, no, he's right in there. Don't steal anything. And I say, Ted what do you mean? And he says, thought I'd do you a favor, he's on his lunch. And I'm still confused out of my mind, and I want to go to that protest. So I look around the corner and there's Ted's friend. His name is Robert. What name is Robert? A normal name. That's usually a good sign when it comes to Ted. He's got friends with names that have to be fake. Like "Green" or "Granola Bar" or "Steve", ridiculous stuff like that, normal people don't tend to associate with Ted. I don't know what that means for me. So, I guess this guy isn't confused at all, just embarrassed to be there. He's very nice looking, that's the first thing I notice. Very nice, I can hardly look at him. I think that if he played piano, I would've fallen in love with him... Oh, that's shallow- And so we get to talking, small talk. What do you do? He won't say but I told him. Where are you from? I said Chicago and he didn't answer his own question. God, he had about a million questions for me, it was almost flattering. And right as I start to think of questions for him, he makes a move on me. Now, I guess some of those questions were... Flirty or something? Or they had some type of Implication. I can never tell with people. It was quite surprising. I thought he was straight as an arrow, honestly, I thought Ted wanted us to be friends, that's it. Anyways, after that, it got awkward. He's supposed to be working and I'm feeling like a bit of an exhibitionist, you know? Ted has roommates! None of them were home but they could've come home! Or Ted himself could've come- maybe the entire thing was a set up for Robert and I and that's why he left and everyone was gone... I won't think about it. Anyways, I ask him where he's got to go, and it's right by where that protest is, so we share a cab, which is even more embarrassing. I felt like... A slut, I guess, for lack of a better word. I don't like it when I feel as if I lost all of my sense just because of how someone looks. That's how Frank made me feel in college. I felt embarrassed, ridiculous, but this clearly isn't this guy's first time around this block. He's a very good looking man but he- not like any guy I ever met. Anyways, to break the silence, we talk, a lot. About anything, small talk into just laughing about whatever, God... I didn't get his number. So I lean over and ask him for his number, and he takes out his BUSINESS CARD! He works in advertising, I'm almost grossed out, but he takes a pen out of my coat pocket, and scribbles his number on it, then puts my pen in his own pocket and slips his card into my pocket. The protest is blocking the road outside his building, so I offer to escort him through the crowds. I do that a lot. He takes me up on the offer. So we got into this protest, and honestly, it was a.... Mistake! I'm trying to get this guy through the crowd and I keep stopping to talk to people who know and I'm taking flyers and I'm introducing him to people I know, commies and such, and he's really uncomfortable, and one pins a pin to his jacket and he's glaring at me, but I don't realize it. I'm gripping his guy's arm and he's just going along with it. He wasn't being all active or anything, but he wasn't trying to fight through the crowd. It was very flattering. That is until he notices the cameras... The press is there, and I give them a big wave, because I like it when I get a tiny column in those right wing tabloids about how I'm a commie, dead set on ruining America with my communist lyrics and articles! It's NBC, though, so they're just taking shots to call us frustrating, you wouldn't be able to see our faces very well, but that's his call to leave, he shoves me away, which led to me falling on some poor young lady, her name was Dorothy by the way, she and I had a nice long chat about the state of higher education, and he goes back to his office. Seeing him go like that was… such a thrill! I left him a message, asking him out to the downtown club, and... Well he didn't call back. And I left his message to tell him I didn't need his business card since I'd written the number down, you know? Thought he might want it back... He didn't call back! But I'm still hopeful. I can see something good coming out of this! God, look at me, I'm like a songbird on the first day of spring.

**Author's Note:**

> This was something I wrote a long time ago mostly as a joke for my friend. Fucked up that Bobby and Charley are about the same age. Bobby doesn't date men anymore because of Charley. Consider this peer pressure to post yours, you know who you are, consider it peer pressure (if you want to lol)
> 
> Actually, completely unironically? I think its a cute crackship. Is it basically shipping two of George Furth's self inserts together? yes. But Charley is LESS of a self insert so its not too jarring I think.. I hope. IDK! Maybe I'll write more about this pair later in the future! Or not!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!


End file.
